


No Limit to Shape-Shifting

by AnonWriter714



Series: Inconsistent Shapes [1]
Category: Half-Life, Half-Life VR but the AI is Self-Aware - Fandom
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mild Blood, One Shot, Shapeshifting, Wing Grooming
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:41:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24503296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnonWriter714/pseuds/AnonWriter714
Summary: Benry decides to tests his shape-shifting abilities early in the journey. His main inspiration is a pigeon, what will he do.A couple of short stories about Benry having wings for my own indulgence.
Relationships: Benrey/Gordon Freeman
Series: Inconsistent Shapes [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1785406
Comments: 21
Kudos: 354





	1. Pin Feathers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How it starts. It's not comfortable nor is it fast.

He loves his friends, but sometimes they're too much of a handful. Gordon needs time to himself, isolating himself in a corner and think happy, perfectly sane, thoughts. The large concrete room wasn't very helpful, the voices reverberate across the room sounding clear as day.

  
"I wonder how many flavors of soda there are. You think there's a 'perfect' flavor?"

  
"Ah yes, 'Pepsi Perfect.' I read it on Soda Wikipedia."

  
"I think we need an 'evil' flavor." It's probably best he rejoins the gang before Bubby dives more into the 'evil' flavor topic.

  
"Hello, Gordon," Dr. Coomer greets. Gordon gives a small wave and sits to join the circle. Tommy has yet to holster his gun, but one can easily tell its unloaded based off the soft clicking its making.

"baby's done pouting?" The sorry excuse for a security guard mocks him. Unlike the rest of the group, Benry is seated on top of an industrial barrel. Maybe he should kick it over, ruin his high and mighty seat, that'd definitely put him in a better mood.

"Yeah, yeah. I mediated, talked with god. I'm better now." It' been a long... what, 3 hours? 6 hours? It's hard to tell time without windows or the common office clock, which Black Mesa is oddly lacking.

"Gordon, I crave violence," to an outsider that would be a threat, but this was Dr. Coomer. Gordon pats his shoulder, promising the boxer of more to come.

"Tommy you should reload your gun," Gordon notes. The dark haired scientist looks at his pistol with a questionable look.

"Is something wrong with it?" He shakes the gun trying to deduce the problem. His futile efforts force Gordon to crawl over and help with a tired sigh.

"Tommy, let me do it for you." He takes the gun and loads a new mag, hearing the sharp click knowing it's fully inserted. Before handing it back, he flips the safety to 'on.'  
"Here you go, bud."

"Should I practice?" Gordon's not sure why he would say that. The man's already proven his skilled trigger finger. "Do I practice on that pigeon?" A what? A bird 1,000 feet below ground, that's insane. Yet there it is, crossing in front of Tommy and gun. "Do I shoot it?" The man already has the barrel trained on the bird, waiting for Gordon's input.

"No, Tommy. I don't think-" Gunshot. Well... On the bright side, staring at the carcass, Tommy's not lost his superb aim from point blank. Gordon takes a deep breath, having to explain 'to shoot' and 'not to shoot' to Tommy. He failed to notice Benry climbing down his vantage point and picking up the carcass. 

"Benry, don't eat that. You don't know where it's been." Bubby's input brought the weary physicist to full alert. The guard held up a wing, intensely studying the feathers and patterns.

"NO!" Gordon immediately swats his hand. The guard looks at him startled.

"wha?" He tries to retrieve the specimen, but Gordon, unwilling to put up with any more his shenanigans, holds his wrist in place like a troublesome child.

"You are not eating that- touching that- or anything with whatever you are going to do."

"bro, I just want to look."

"It's a bird. A sky-rat. Why would that interest you when aliens are popping up every corner?" The guard just stares back with a blank expression.

"huh?"

"Do NOT eat the bird!" Gordon wishes things could be normal, that he didn't have to plea for someone to not eat roadkill. But given this guy was talking about Fruit Loops and already smacked his lips over a corpse, he can't expect much in terms of trust from him. The guard glances at the corpse one last time and shrugs.

"sure, whatever. i don't know why you think i'd do that."

  
"I can't trust you one bit." Getting up, he motions the rest of the team to follow. Somehow, they will get to the surface.

* * *

"Benry, are you alright?" Bubby isn't the only member worrying about the guard. He's been scratching at his back more often than usual, occasionally throwing himself against a wall to relieve his itch.

"You might have 'pickies,' I read it about it on Wikipedia: the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit," Coomer adds, the least concerned for their compatriot.

Gordon too is worried, not for the guard himself, he can die in a hole for all he cares. What he's mainly concerned about is, with all this Resonance Cascade chaos, who's to say the guard isn't infected with an alien disease. Wary if it's contagious, Gordon makes sure he has at least 6 feet in distance between himself and it.

"Sunkist gets itchy when he sheds. I can help you." Tommy immediately gets to scratching Benry's back. Even though he's wearing that vest, it seems to work anyway, the guard craning his head back in relief.

"thanks bro. if you have minecraft add me, we can mine diamonds together." While Tommy busily gets scratching, Gordon notes the thin flakes dispelling from under his shirt. The material looks like thin sheets of plastic and has the texture and size of ground parsley. It's bizarre for sure. Maybe Dr. Coomer is right and he has some sort of skin condition. For how long they've been walking, even the best moisturizer would've dried out by now. Still, he doesn't know any skin condition that would flake off in such a way. This only fuels his theory for an infection.

* * *

This guard was really becoming a pain. The tunnels echo with the last remnants of gunfire after having just cleared out a troop of marines. The last thing they need is a false panic attack. Benry laid sprawled on the floor, arms out on each side, face down. Naturally, the team thought he died (again), but a moan emits from him indicating he's still very much alive.

"Hey, get up." Gordon nudges a leg with his foot. From what he can tell, the man wasn't bleeding so he's not shot.

"i don't want to..." The guard whines with his voice muffled through the floor. "you guys go on ahead. I'll catch up later." Gordon's face brighten at that suggestion, that might be the best suggestion Benry's ever offered.

"I can carry him. I can bench 14 hundred pounds, thanks to my cybernetics." Coomer hunches over ready to slide the guard into his arms like a sack of potatoes. The guard instead protests this action, urgently holding up a hand to stop him.

"no, you'll only make it worse." This draws everyone's curiosity. So far in their adventure, nothing seemed to faze the security guard and he appears to be indestructible. The fact he doesn't want to be disturbed can only mean one thing.

"Are you in pain?" Bubby inquires, like everyone in the room, uncertain if that was the case. The guard responds with quick nod. Whatever pain he is feeling, it had to be internal and beyond their medical experience. The tactical genius scientist looks among the group. "Well, shit. Guess we'll have to cut our losses and leave him." And without delay, Bubby and Gordon were ready to move on.

"No, we can't leave Benry behind," Tommy cries out, still hovering by the guard with Coomer. "Maybe we can find a train for him." As far as the team has traversed the tunnels, no train has come to or fro, making the chance of finding one very slim. Tommy must've realized this too, he looks around desperate to find something to help.

"Look Tommy, I found a chair. This chair is of the office variety, denoted by the wheels attached to the feet." Coomer wheels the object over to him. " This can be used to help in our predicament." Tommy bounces with enjoyment now finally able to help their friend. By this point, Gordon and Bubby return just to see how this will play out.

Tommy holds the chair steady while Coomer hovers over the guard. "Benry, I will now lift you into this luxurious chair." The scientist cheerfully remarks. The guard doesn't make a sound, so Coomer proceeds with the operation. He slips his hands under the guard. Once he's off the ground there's a soft grunt of discomfort, but otherwise, Benry remains slumped in his arms and placed over the chair's back. There's a sharp snap as if something just broke.

Of course the group suspects the chair, but a quick examination yields nothing. Another crack sounds and another grunt escapes the guard.

"Get away from him," Gordon commands, 100% convinced the guard is hoisting some parasite. The frighten Science Team does as instructed.

"no it's okay." The guard finds his voice, strained under pain. "i just... should not feel pain. it's not fun." Benry's reassures, it calms the group somewhat. They gather back around trying to figure out what's wrong. Gordon however is still skeptical and lingering behind the group.

"Gordon..." For once Dr. Coomer looks at him with a serious expression, his brow knotted in intense thought or unease. "I- I detect a change to his DNA."

"its fine. chill." Again Benry attempts to dissuade their concern.

"Benry?" Tommy asks. The guards manages to angle their head to look at him. "What's happening? Are you alright?" Tommy is holding his hands to his chest, frighten for his friend's health. It's so innocent he offers a soft smile to ease him.

"yeah, i'm fine." The guard does better at masking the pain this time but there's still a hint of it under his tone. "you guys are making a big deal. its nothing to worry about. i'm just- i'm just trying something." Now, Gordon can't take anymore of this. He steps up to the front.

"Please, whatever you're trying to do, stop." The guard manages to prop himself up with little trouble to look at him.

"can't do that." He answers nonchalantly. The ever-tired expression makes it impossible to determine if this was a joke or truthful answer. It only aggravates Gordon. "look i feel fine. i can walk." To prove it, he pushes off the chair to stand. A knee buckles under the strain. He quickly recovers before collapsing. The team is still apprehensive about their comrade but they are pressed on time and have delayed long enough. Finding nothing to fault or argue against, they comply and continue onward.

* * *

So far, Benry's managed to hold up as his usual self. The thought of the incident barely escaping the team's mind as an one-off thing. However Gordon is aware of the guard's preference to hang around the back of the group, never opting to stride in front or cross anyone's path. Even when they get caught up in a senseless argument, Benry remains in his position. It was when he got hit in the back did his unease turn to genuine worry.

Before reaching the surface, the team came face to face with what Tommy dub's the "Black Mesa Golem Ape." The relentless brute would not die until Benry exposed it to his "Song of Death," another entry to the list of inhuman things the guy has done. During the battle and last ditch running effort, Benry received a solid slug from it. As usual, he didn't react and no one thought anything of it.

They were all on the surface now, taking well deserved restful and peaceful naps. But Gordon continues to look at Benry, the guard relaxing across the room leaning against the wall. He's been very protective of his back since that attack. A dark substance leaks from him and gradually crawls down the wall's surface. It looks like he's bleeding. At first Gordon blamed it on the moonlight, just a trick of the light. But that stain is indeed growing and it is coming from him.

Without saying a word, Gordon stands and walks to the exit. Benry watches him curiously and, as expected, silently follows him in to the next room. Turning the corner, Gordon quickly grabs his wrists and rings him around.

"bro-." The guard breaks the silence. Gordon is honestly surprised how well he's kept his back hidden. There is a large mass under his shirt and vest, half of the blue shirt stained a deep- actually it was black, a large black stain blooming from underneath. Benry spin's back around, keeping his back to the corner. "what do you want?" He scowls back, offended by the maneuver he just pulled.

"What is wrong with your back? It looks incredibly swollen." There was no malice or insult in Gordon's tone, a sincere question. If the guard was hosting a parasite, Gordon's certain the guard should've been dead by now, or the parasite itself killed by the amount of danger he puts himself through. No, whatever he is hiding was some injuring.

He wouldn't call Benry a friend, yet seeing the guy bleeding (and probably been bleeding since that blow), the bit of humanity still left inside him urges him to help.

"i don't know what you're talking about." The guard gets defensive. "last time you try to help, you all made a big fuss about it." He tries sliding closer to the exit, leaving a black smear against the wall. Gordon stops him short. He takes the guard's hand and leads him to sit on the floor with him. The guard doesn't object.

"You're bleeding. You know that right?" Gordon points to the wall that Benry just painted. It's hard not to notice it. He smacks his lips.

"yo, someone's pen busted." Gordon looks to the ceiling and gives a long tired sigh.

"Benry... just tell me what's the matter." He refocuses on the guard. Benry is twiddling his fingers, he doesn't look like he knows either, which would make the situation more unsettling.

"i don't know." Came his honest answer. Go figure. "i never done this..." Gordon scoots himself closer. Despite all the insults and mockery the guard throws at him, it's obvious he also harbors a sweet spot for him. Gordon sits there by his side in silence, he didn't think this far ahead, so he kills the time by grazing his hand over the other's back. He's startled when something moves under his touch. Both of them retract from each other.

"...What was that?" Gordon watches all of Benry's movements, eyes wide. He feels like he's looking in a mirror because the guard has the exact same expression. The two stay silent at one another, wondering if the other will run away. Eventually the shock settles and the guard feels comfortable to speak.

"you won't have another freak out will you?" Gordon doesn't feel like he has choice in answering that freely. He gives a simple nod at him. Benry takes him by surprise by holding his hand in an enduring manner. He watches him intensely. Gordon's not sure what he's looking for, but it satisfies him enough to let go and turn around. "okay." He unfastens the vest and loosens the shirt enough for Gordon to pull it back and see.

It's not so much his effort but Benry's, as a flurry of feathers come breaching at him after finally being free from their confinement. He hears Benry take a sharp breath, either from the wound or his new found freedom, Gordon's not sure. What he is sure about is what he's seeing stretched in front of him. A full pair of grey wings with black tip markings, not too different from a dove or pigeon. The extra limbs settle over his back and Gordon can see the cause for the bleeding. The left side has several broken quills twisted astray from the rest.

"Uh." Gordon is speechless, his mind blanking out at the sight. The wings suddenly pull in tight, draped over the guard's body in an attempt to shield himself- hide himself. The contraction of muscles causes more blood to spill over.

"it hurts." The guard vaguely mentions from under his plumage. Gordon shakes himself back to attention. He reaches out and strokes the good wing. He can feel it, any doubts this was a dream diminished in the moment. In all honestly, Gordon expected whatever he was hiding to be worse. Wings are moderately tame compared to the horrors he imagined. He crawls to Benry's side, still stroking the wing in hopes it will comfort him. The feathers rustle as he nears the front, the wings pressing closer to protect himself from scrutiny.

"Hey, if you think I'm scared, I'm not. Just a little shocked." He maneuvers his hand to the top and gently pulls it back. The guard is huddled in a ball, he's also chewing on one of those blue Sweet Voice orbs. He must've spat it out quietly because he surely didn't hear it. "I'm going to help you okay? It might hurt a little bit." Gordon knows what to do, having owned a pet bird before and thus, knows how to remove blood feathers.

Benry lowers his shield. Taking this as a positive sign, Gordon shuffles to the messy wing. He does his best pruning the feathers, their large size making them easier to locate and pull than normal. Benry doesn't flinch when he plucks out the first one or any following. It's hard to tell if he got them all, there's nothing available to clean off the stains, but he's confident in his work. "That should take care of the bleeding."

"could have done this." The guard sings out a string of teal at wall. He flips around, wary of the size of his wings, and proceeds to mash the inflicted area against the teal like an ointment. It's whatever, Gordon having given up any sense of sanity while around the entity. But there's still the matter of the team sleeping in the other room.

"What are you going to do when the rest wake up?" Benry stops his rubbing and takes a moment to think. He looks up at the pair like its the first time he's noticed them. Actually, they look bigger than the initial reveal, they're at a size that tucking them under a shirt would be difficult.

"i guess i can put them back." Gordon holds his tongue, believing it best he should not ask for clarity on that statement. He gives one last look at the appendages and gliding a hand over the top down to the tip. He does wonder if he's able to fly if he lets them grow to a certain size.

Benry pulls in close and the feathers shift to encase him inside with the guard. Benry stares down at him, cracking a small smile. "wanna kiss?" Any other time, when he's not sleep deprived or overcome by the absurdity of his life, he'd say no. But just this one time he'll make an exception.

He doesn't say anything, holding up one finger and that's all Benry needs. The guard embraces him in a hug while doing so. It was short and sweet. "epic." The guard smiles a toothy grin at him. The umbrella surrounding them parts. "you should sleep. i don't think you like to watch."

Understanding he means 'putting them back,' Gordon obliges and leaves to the next room. The Science Team is still fast asleep which he's relieved about. What happens in Black Mesa stays in Black Mesa business. He settles into a corner ready for blissful sleep to finally overtake him. He feels a small nudge next to him. Looking over he catches the guard laying back against him, wing-less, still with a large blotch of ink coating his shirt. It wouldn't be hard to mock it up to a pen accident or printer ink. Tomorrow is still another day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based off this art piece from tumblr  
> [ Link to post](https://wroughtwheat.tumblr.com/post/619424745035890688/an-idea-that-popped-in-my-head-and-i-couldnt)


	2. Fledgling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just because he has wings doesn't mean he knows how to use them.

Gordon's not exactly afraid of heights, but looking over the cliff side to a river far below them, its hard to keep the nerves calm. Gordon takes a deep breath, resuming his crawl against the narrow ledge. There is no space for error, the ledge literally fit for one person at a time.

"Don't trip, Gordon." Dr Coomer happily chimes behind him. "And don't look down. You might trip and fall." Unfortunately that advice makes him glance back over the edge, the view making him nauseous. He clings tighter to the rocky walls, slipping on a small pebble could spell his end.

"Gordon, hurry up!" A particularly impatient scientist yells, his voice rising over the occasional howl of wind funneling from the canyon. Thankfully Bubby is near the back and unable to do anything more than jeer. Christ, it's so easy to imagine him pushing him over the edge because of his temperament.

"Hey, you're the one afraid of heights!"

"That's right, and you should hurry up so I can get the hell out of here!" Gordon slides his foot across the ground, making sure he has solid footing. At this point he's hugging the cliff.

"yo gonna make out with that rock, give it a little kiss? feetman cringe moments."

"Benry, shut up." If they all had keep their advice to themselves, he would have already cleared this area instead of progressing at a snail's pace.

"what's wrong. scared of falling? you gonna be a little clumsy boy?" Gordon tries to ignore him. Another slide forward. Several grains of sand fall over the edge with the wind kicking more dust in his face. He needs to clean his glasses- he needs to sneeze.

He holds the burning sensation attacking his nose. Purely focusing on the task of living. 'It's okay,' he tells himself and repeats until he can let go of the rock wall and take a normal step. He's back to hugging it when a good sized rock is thrown at him.

"What the hell?!" Another chunk hits him in the chest and he see's Benry clawing at the cliff to carve out another.

"this is encouragement. i'm encouraging you to keep moving." The security guard tosses the rock at him. It falls short, bouncing off the cliff and into the abyss below.

"This is not encouraging!" Gordon feels his knees wobble, legs going numb into jello. No no no. Right now is the worst time for a panic attack. He makes haste, taking two steps at a time, praying he can reach a platform before his legs finally give out.

"Look, there's water down there." Gordon doesn't need to look to know Tommy is right. The river appearing more like a tiny trickle from their position.

"Gordon, I'm thirsty. Wouldn't it be nice to take a little sip?"

"No." The word comes through his clenched jaw, clearly distressed. He can barely register his legs moving, sliding across gravel like an inch worm. Pins and needles fill his feet and he fails to notice the ground eroding under him.

"Gordon, the hole!"

"What?" And like a rug pulled under him, there was no ground. Air rushes up as he free falls to the bottom. Any attempt at grabbing the smooth rocky surface crumbles under his fingertips.  
Time slows down, his life flashing in front of him. Graduating MIT, living in Austria, seeing Joshua the newborn, the his newly found friendship in the Science Team, and Benry, the monstrosity.

His silhouette descends upon him and with the sun glaring into his eyes, gave the creature an undeserving angelic appearance. It takes him less than a second to realize this isn't a vision. The cryptid is reaching for him, holding him to his chest with two large outstretched wings coated in blood from rupturing out his back.

Gordon can only studder at what is happening. They're still falling, Benry struggling to get the new limbs to respond correctly as they flail and flap helpless through the air. Oh god, he doesn't have the slightest clue how to fly.

"Open them! Fan them out as far as you can!" Gordon shouts over the rushing wind. He shuts his eyes and clings tight around the other's chest. He doesn't care if it's childish or that he's holding onto a shape shifting monster. He's absolutely scared for his life.

The wind alters, flowing in a more smooth consistent current through his hair. Gordon adjusts his grip, gravity now pulling at his back instead of vertically.

"hey." That voice calls above him, but Gordon isn't going to open his eyes. Not yet. A bizarre mix of muscles shift and flex under his hands in an unsteady rhythmic beat. It's alien, unnatural, but god forbid is he going to loosen his hold. "hey, um... how do I turn?"

Gordon's eyes fly open. Glancing ahead, they're about to collide into the cliff side. He gives a shriek, digging his fingers into muscle. He hit some nerve in the alien's body, one wing recoiling in reflex and forcing the pair into a sharp left turn, narrowly avoiding the impact.

"bro let go-please!" Gordon really doesn't want to lose his grip, now that they're uncontrollably spiraling downward. "let go now!" A thorn protrudes out of Benry back and jabs itself into Gordon's hand, forcing him to release his hold. The wing unfolds once again, jolting the two as it catches the wind, but they've already lost too much altitude and this only gives Benry a few seconds to pilot them into the river. Thank god the water is deep enough to cushion the force. Gordon surfaces with a gasp, Benry emerging nearby. Being pulled by the current, Gordon swims for the banks until he can stand above the water. 

"Now what, you plan on flying us back up there?" 

"BBBBBBBBB." Benry doggy paddles his way towards Gordon, using his feathery limbs like oars to help him swim on top the surface. He reaches a point where he can stand in the river, but keeps the remainder of his body submerged. He dunks a wing under, frantically splashing it around and, generally, getting water everywhere.

"What are you doing?" Gordon wipes away droplets that managed to reach his face.

"taking a bath. you watch people bathe, creepman? pretty weird." He switches to the other side repeating the action. "can barely glide with this stuff glued together." It finally clicks to him what Benry is trying to do.

"Stop, stop. You're not going to get the blood off like that." Gordon moves to his side, close enough to hold one of the wings. Now he can see the full size of the appendages, it's absolutely huge compared to last time with majority of the feathers matted in dried blood. It's a wonder how he even managed to stay airborne. "The faster these are cleaned the better."

They spend the next few minutes cleaning off the blood, alternating between scrubbing and rinsing for each side. They leave the river once the feathers reach an acceptable degree of cleanliness, quickly drying them in the hot desert sun that also doubled as shade.

Benry holds out his hands, waiting for Gordon to jump into them, a small pleased grin growing on his face.

"come on man, what you waiting for." Gordon huffs at the thought of being Benry's arms again, not after that near death-experience. Albeit, part of it was his own fault. He circles around to Benry's back and positions himself ready to hop on.

"Is this okay?"

"oh you like from the back? sure."

"Shut up, man." Gordon hops on, piggy back style. The guard barely shifts at the added weight. Benry flexes his wings testing his flexibility with Gordon on his back.

"uh, yeah. so, uh... i don't know how to take off, i hope you don't mind improv."

"...What?" Benry takes that answer as a 'yes' and immediately leaps onto the cliff. Fingertips transformed into claws, he begins scaling up the wall at a frightening fast pace. Gordon looks back down, guessing they already reached the thirty foot mark and tightens his hold on the anomaly. A few seconds more and Benry holds his position. "Whenever you're ready, remember to make an arch, you want to feel the air go over the top." He flaps his wings a few times, assuming he's practicing, before launching himself off into the air. 

The flight does indeed feel smoother than the first time, Benry making minor adjustments to his movements to steady himself. The wings find themselves a rhythm, each beat creating a low thunderous whoop that brings them higher in the air. Gordon looks over his shoulder, and watches the landscape shrink under them. If he were to guess, they're about a third the way up the canyon.   
He pulls himself away from the hypnotizing view and begins searching out for the Science Team. He spots the drain pipe where they came from but they're too low to see the path. 

"you think i can go upside down? that be pretty cool."

"Don't you dare try it." Gordon squeezes his legs around the guards hips just in case. "Besides, your wings aren't even shaped for that."

"i can unlock different types? is this like pokemon?" Gordon rolls his eyes. Benry makes a wide U-turn to keep inside the perimeter, at least he remembers that.

"Hey, you know if you get near the edges you'll catch the updraft."

"why do you know so much? i don't see you with wings, feetman."

"It's basic physics. aerodynamics. Look the pipe is over there." he points where Benry can see it. "If we can get a little higher, we can follow the path and look for the others." Benry takes his advice, gliding as close to the walls as his wingspan will allow, quickly correcting the offset from entering the updraft and thrown up higher. They spy three white specks sitting under a cave. "I see them! bring us in close."

Benry follows his command, a little too well. Gliding in closer and closer. "Benry, slow down." He doesn't. "We're going to crash into them!"

"i don't know how to land."

The wings panic and flutter as Benry tries everything to figure out landing. Gordon, once again, clings onto him for dear life has he's bucked around. They end up tumbling right through the Science Team's campsite, coming to a stop when they hit the inner wall.

"Benry?!" Bubby's first at the scene, followed by Tommy and Coomer, all appalled by his large appendages, only for a second.

"Um, where is mister Freeman?" To answer, Benry removes one of his wings protecting Gordon, revealing the scientist hugging his back like a scared kitten.

"safe and sound, we did it! Woo!"


	3. Nesting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to take a nap, but Gordon and Tommy can't do that because that have a proper nervous system.  
> Also, Benry's wings are not normal. Very subtle body horror.

Another day, another dollar, as Dr Coomer always says, and here they all are, once again ready to sleep. That would be easier if they didn't resort to sleeping in the meat room. The cold storage block they found themselves remains a constant cool temperature of 42 F, and although it was storage, the room offered nothing that could be used as a blanket.

Bubby is fine, the scientist practically immune to the cold by forcefully raising his body temperature. And Dr Coomer clearly feared no god, immediately cuddling up with Bubby for warmth and the pair soon fell asleep after that. Benry was nowhere seen, and Gordon is fine with that, but it still leaves him and Tommy, the most human of the bunch, freezing in their spots.

"Mister Freeman." Gordon flips himself over to face Tommy's direction. The man was shivering. " You have any more s-soda?" He shakes his head.

"Tommy, soda is not going to help." If the HEV suit was charged, he would offer to share the heat it generated with him. But it wasn't, and the cold metal plating would do more harm to than good if they huddled. "Just try your best at going to sleep." Movement behind him brings his mind to alert, afraid he might've woke up the other two, mainly Bubby and his temper.

"what you guys talking about?" It was just Benry. The guard shuffles himself into the gap between him and Tommy, unbothered by the chilly temperature.

"Go away Benry, we're trying to sleep."

"didn't sound like it." The security guard shifts to laying on his side, having no intent of leaving. "unless you talk in your sleep. you talk in your sleep, like a baby?" A smile crawls over his face, but his annoy-Gordon hour gets cut short when a hand taps his shoulder. He flips over to Tommy's side.

"Benry, do you have any soda?" With Benry distracted, Gordon brushes his arms and inches away to a comfortable distance from Benry.

"no, sorry bro." Gordon can tell the young scientist is rubbing his hands together, a small effort to keep himself warm under the thin lab coat. "you cold?" The answer should be obvious, but that's expecting too much from Benry. Gordon rolls his eyes and holds back a shiver. He wasn't going to admit to him that he is cold too.

"Yeah. But I- I'll do my best at sleep." It was sad, really, this was one of those times he can't help his friends, especially Tommy who goes out of his way to be nice and considerate. If only there was a blanket or some way to get the suit off. Benry rolls back over to Gordon, their eyes easy to catch in the dim light due to their unusual shine.

"pretty messed up of you leaving a friend in the cold." Gordon crosses his arm, both out of annoyance and his own vain attempt to retain some body heat. He would yell at him, but again, Bubby.

"My suit. Is an ice box. It'll suck all the heat from him." He holds back a shiver when he hears the awful cracking emitting from Benry, and no, he is not seeing a pair of bony limbs protruding out their back. "You can leave. You don't sleep."

Although he tries to ignore Benry's actions, his eyes still catch the generating limbs. The actual skeletal frame of the wings resembles more of a spider than a bird's, each pair of legs growing to a different length and organizing themselves into the vague shape of a wing. Of course Benry wouldn't know how a real wing works, the entity is merely trying to mimic it. The entity easily catches on to his staring.

"kind of rude man, just watching me." He shifts to lay in his stomach giving both him and Tommy an even better view of the mildly morbid display. They both watch the limbs align and synchronize themselves into a single body. Quills quickly populate the limbs and grow into their proper length in a matter of seconds.

On closer inspection, Gordon's not really sure what is happening. The wings are growing out from the shoulder blades, four slender ligaments from each blade. He assumed the 'wing' grew out and over the uniform, but they pass through clothing and those appears to react and merge with the new masses, as if those were organic too. He won't question it further, and just spare his sanity from trying to reason Benry's anatomy.

The quills shed and flake away into full fledged feathers, completely skipping the developing stage for a real bird. One wing extends over Tommy and covers him completely. "this good?" A hesitant yet soft 'm-hm' comes from Tommy's side.

Gordon eyes the unoccupied wing tucked against Benry's back. He can't believe how tempted he is to just sneak under it. Then again, this is the meat locker and the HEV suit practically is an ice box at his point. Pushing ego aside, he scoots back to the guard and nudges him. "hm, what do you want?" 

Gordon pinches the bridge of his nose, but with all his fingers numb and nearly pokes out his eye instead. Still, he can't believe what he's about to ask.

"You mind if... if we share?" The guard's face goes blank for a second. What ever answer he was expecting, this wasn't it. Displeasure replaces shock once he processes the request.

"can't help a friend and expect it from others. real gordos play there." The insult was nothing more than a jab at his ego, but none the less, a valid one.

Gordon lets out a tired huff, his breath visible as an icy puff. That didn't happen before, meaning the room actually is getting colder. The crystal particles brush against Benry's face and he spits out an icy teal orb, it's interior clouded in a hazy glow.

"What is that for?" Gordon watches puzzled by the single orb floating in air, disappearing almost as fast as his own breath. Tommy doesn't answer with a translation, and the light snoring is enough to conclude he is asleep.

"you blow Sweet Voice in my face, i have to do it back." Gordon raises a brow, confused only for a moment by the statement. He snorts trying to hold back a laugh.

"What this?" He blows more hot breath into the air, creating a large cloud of frozen steam that completely cloaks Benry's face. The guard remains unfazed, either unbothered by the cloud or trying not disturb Tommy. In either case, he matches Gordon's pattern with his Sweet Voice, singing in a quiet tune that it could be interpret as a whisper in the Sweet Voice. As fun as this was, Gordon forces himself to stop before freezing to death.

"Okay, what do I have to do so I don't turn into frozen meat?"

"show me your passport." The guard's answer came out quick and swift, he should've expected it. A smug grin stretches across the their face again. If the Science team wasn't asleep right now, he would have shot him. "ha, i'm kidding. funny prank, bro." The other wing unfurls open to welcome Gordon under it.

He shuffles under the canopy of feathers, careful to avoid any contact with Benry. While protecting him from getting frostbite it is rather nice, that doesn't exactly mean he's willing to snuggle with him. The feathers descend over his face, lightly tickling his cheek. The large bodies don't have any heat to them, but the temperature difference is noticeable, his own breathing is enough to warm the space to a moderate temperature.

He should being sleep, but his mind continues to replay images from the transformation moments ago. Where there should have been flesh and bone exposed from the ruptures, appeared as dark liquid. Not an actual liquid, but like black eels or worms clumsily overpowering another before mending into a single shape where the new joints connected. His focus turns to the wing blanketing him, an imitation to the real thing.

"You're- uh getting better at this. They're not covered in blood this time." He grazes his hand over the underside, gently parting the minor arms that make the full wing. Maybe it's because he's a man of science or maybe he is plainly going crazy, but the process sparked some fascination. Questions about the entity race through his mind, but he would never voice them, and leave them unanswered.

"well yeah. its-its easier when you don't rush me, clumsy boy... kind of hurts too."

He pulls his hand back when the separated limbs force themselves back into their place, Benry clearly annoyed by his meddling.

"Normal wings don't do that, you know that right?" He smooths out the clustered area. With his sense of touch returning to his fingertips, he can feel the small impressions of bone hiding underneath.

"...huh?" The wing unnaturally coils around Gordon, pulling him close against the guard's side. "you talk too much, just go to bed." He doesn't fight against the his hold. As mush as he dislikes it, Gordon's still convinced Benry is still willing to throw him back in the freezer if he complains too much. As if the anomaly would give him the chance to complain. The guard sings out a song that immediately takes effect. All his muscles relax, he's breathing slow and even. He blinks rapidly to try to keep his eyes open, but nothing can stop the Sweet Voice's influence. He manages to whisper his last words before succumbing to sleep.

"Goodnight Benry."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wrote this late into the night without much polish, sorry.  
> The Sweet Voice part was a very late after thought, it broke the pacing but I found the idea so cute I had to include it somehow.


End file.
